Process of making sheet-metal balls.



F. L. KlNGSTON. PROCESS OF MAKING SHEET METAL BALLS.

ION FILED MAY19.19I6.

APPLICAT Patented May 14, 1918.

FRANK In. KINGSTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE K-D. CARBURETOR oomrm, or CLEVELAND, 01110, JANUARY 19, 1917.) v

A CORPORATION OF OHIO, (INCORPORATED PROCESS OF MAKING SHEET-METAL BALLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented May it, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK L. KINcsToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of-Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Making Sheet-Metal Balls, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a process for making an lmproved method and article, a feature of which is that the ball is made by cutting I and pressing operations from a single piece of sheet meta 1 Such balls are adapted for a variety of uses, one of which is to form a ball valve in a carbureter, but the article may be used for other purposes, and the method is not Hm ited to the exact manner of performing the same as herein shown and described.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of cutting dies for cutting the blank. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the blank cut thereby. view of dies for cupping the blank. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cupped blank. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the dies of a press for shaping the cupped blanks. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the blank after 1t is acted on'by the press shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a die press for performing the final shapingoperation, and

ig. 8 is a plan of the completed ball.

The figures illustrate the successive steps of the methods, and the condition of the article after each step.

First, the blank shown in Fig. 2 is cut from a piece of sheet metal stock 6 by means of a male die 7 and a female die 8 fixed on a base or support 9. This blank is star-shaped in general form, having a cen tral body 10 and a plurality of segmental lobes or points 11. Six lobes are conveniently formed, ,but this number may be varied. Each edge 12 of each lobe describes an arewhich is substantially one-fourth the length of the circumference of the finished ball, or in other words, the body forms one hollow balls, and the balls made thereby, and has for its object to provide Fig. 3 is a sectional hemisphere of the ball and the lobes form the other. At the second step, the blank thus out is placed in a centering device or plate 13, over the circular opemng 14. in a. base plate 15, in which it is drawn to a on by a plunger 16 having a hemispherical en and this drawing operation shapes the body 10 into a hemisphere, and draws the lobes up until the inner ends of-their edges 12 are brought together, as, shown in Fig. 4..

At the next step the lobes are pressed and bent inwardly toward each other, as shown in Fig. 6, by means of a die press consisting of two members 17 and 18, the latter having a cavity in which the ball sets and the former having a shaping cavity with inclined and curved sides which draw the points or lobes together until the edges 12 are joined still farther along the same.

' At the final operation the article shown in Fig. 6 is acted on by a press to cause the edges 12 to approach closely together and give the final shape to the ball. This press comprises two members '19 and 29 having hemispherical cavities the walls of which, when the members are brought together upon the article, force the pomts together and produce the completed article shown in Fig. 8. For most uses, soldering is unnecessary and the edges 12 will unite firmly in consequence of the pressure, but they may be soldered to make a completely closed or watertight ball. The slight opening 21, ordinarily left at the meeting edges each edge substantially equal in length to one quarter thecircumference of the finished ball, cupping the body of the blank, and bending the lobes untii their edges meet.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto i signature.

l FRA L. MNGSTON. 

